EL SALVADOR
The littlest country in Central America will only be known by many outsiders for its systemic gang warfare, record-breaking murder rates and bloody 12-year long civil war.
However, actually going there to peak behind those headlines offered a surefire way to change some perceptions.
More recently though, the record is changing on El Salvador.
Under President Bukele, the country has undergone a dramatic transformation— it now enforces a controversial zero-tolerance approach to organised crime and there’s a newfound sense of security and stability. Bitcoin is legal tender, positioning El Salvador as a global experiment in cryptocurrency-driven economics. Alongside this, the country is seeing a surge in tourism, with travelers drawn to its beaches, world-class surfing, coffee culture, and rich Mayan heritage.
We genuinely haven't met locals on our Latin American trip as friendly and welcoming as those in El Salvador - and it takes us lot for us to type such a cliché. With a landscape and national identity battered and bruised from so much violence, the hospitality and helpfulness we encountered every step along the way was a genuine shock to the system.
So, don't just assume that you should avoid El Salvador - as so many do.
Take a chance, get off the well-worn surfer route and you may just be in for a wonderful, life-affirming experience.
Oh, and please eat a pupusa every single day on our behalf!
